Making Monoclonal Antibodies (CIE A Level Biology)

• Monoclonal antibodies are artificially produced antibodies produced from a single B cell clone
• The hybridoma method is a method used to make monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)
  • Monoclonal antibodies bind antigens, in the same way naturally produced antibodies do
• The method enables large quantities of identical antibodies to be produced
• The hybridoma method solved the problem of having B cells that could divide by mitosis but not produce antibodies and plasma cells that could produce antibodies but not divide
• This method was established in the 1970s
• The hybridoma method involves
  • Injecting mice with an antigen that stimulates the production of antibody-producing plasma cells
  • Isolated plasma cells from the mice are fused with immortal tumour cells, which result in hybridoma cells
    • The fusion of plasma and tumour cells can be assisted with the use of fusogens such as polyethylene glycol or an electric current
  • These hybrid cells are grown in a selective growth medium and screened for the production of the desired antibody
  • They are then cultured to produce large numbers of monoclonal antibodies
• Monoclonal antibodies have multiple applications to include diagnostics, treating disease, food safety testing and pregnancy testing

The hybridoma method is used to produce monoclonal antibodies